Booshy Hollow
by chugirl2526
Summary: After a series of murders have been done at the small village of Sleepy Hollow, constable Howard Crane has been called out to investigate. Can he slove the mystery with his new friend Naboo and his new love interest, the mysterious Vince Van Tassel? slash
1. Chapter 1

Booshy Hollow.

Summery- After a series of murders have been carried out at the small village of Sleepy Hollow, constable Howard Crane has been called out to investigate them. Can he slove the mystery with his new friend Naboo and his new love interest, the mysterious Vince Van Tassel?

Disclaimer- I do not own the boosh, I do not own Sleepy Hollow either, Tim Burton does. Great director he is :)

Author's Notes- In my story, the last names have changed, it will be the step-father that's evil instead of the step-mother and Sleepy Hollow will be in London instead of America :) sorry if that sounds confusing hehe. Deadicated to whoever reads/and reviews it, whoever likes it really hehe. Rated 'T' for violence and maybe some gore.

--

Sleepy Hollow, England, 1799.

In the gnarled forest outside the village borders, a tall, bald headed man with milky eyes and wearing strange robes was riding horseback. He was holding a laturn on a long pole ahead of him and was clearly terrified. He turns his head when he hears thunderous hoofbeats behind him and spurs his horse on further and faster, which made him turn his laturn too quickly and smashes into a tree.

The jammed up pole slams into him and knocks him off his horse, the beast running off without him. He gets up quickly, tries to run and trips and falls again, looking behind him. Deeper in the forest, the hoofbeats were getting louder and he catches a quick glimpse of a huge black horse, before it disappears once again. The tall man clambers to his feet and races through the thorny bushes, the jagged branches tearing cuts into his face and hands.

He soon brusts from the briar patch and tumbles slightly down a trail, still running for his life. In the forest behind, the huge horse's hoofbeats were getting much louder, much closer. A spur digs into the side of the great beast, making it go faster, the rider drawing out a long sword, the cold unforgiving blade ringing in the night.

The tall man was still running, but much slower, his breath and energy leaving his body. Behind him, the shrill whistle of a swinging sword is heard as the dark rider rides past the tall man. He is still running when his head lolls back ay an impossible angle, before finally falling off slowly off his shoulders and thudded to the ground, his headless body falling soon after.

--

London, England.

The empty cobbled streets were cold, bare and damp from the latest rain with crooked buildings surrounding the grey and dreary scene, a bell ringing rapidly in the distance. Two constables, Rudi and Spider were rushing around a corner, their laturns held high, giving the street an almost spooky glow before they rush down an alleyway.

They soon come to the Thames river, the bell ringing louder as they get closer to the bridge. They start searching for someone or something, but nothing turned up, only the quiet and the thin fog that was now settling "Is anoyone there?" Asks constable Rudi, hefting his pistol up high as he peers into the mist, jumping as he hears "Yes, over here, quick" coming from the rivers edge.

They both rush over to the edge and down a small hill, where another constable was standing with his back to them. He's waist deep in the cold waters and throws away his alarm beel, knowing back up is near "I need your help with this, help me up with it"

Spider stays up on the bridge, as Rudi moves forward wary to the othe constable, who is grunting while he lifts something up. A spark of recognition enters Rudi's mind "Constable Crane? Howard Crane, is that you?" He asks, watching as the man turns around to reveal a quite youngish and handsome man, with small brown eyes, wispy brown hair and a small brown moustace under his nose.

He keeps grunting as he drags what looks to be a heavy, bloated male corpse from the murky waters "Yes, it's me. But not only me, I found someone here who appears to be quite dead"

--

In the Jail, the chief constable Lester Corncrake lifts a blanket off the corpse on a wheelbarrow bought in by Spider, as a snobby magistrate called Saboo, Howard and Rudi looks on at the chief's decision. After a couple of deep thinking, Lester places the blanket back down and looks Spider in the eyes with upmost seriousness "Burn the bugger, that's what I think"

"Yes, sir" Rudi replies as Spider wheels the body out. Howard looks on dismayed and disappointed at the decision "Wait, what if it was possible he was murdered?"

"He probably drowned, he was probably drunk and fell in the river, anyone can see that" Lester argued, trying to make his point clear, but it wasn't working with Howard "There are other ways to tell how he died, like with the water in his lungs could be found using surgical ways" But his protests fell on deaf ears as his boss went through into the watch-house. Spider wheels the body past many 'bokoking in' tables and watches as the jailer, Kirk goes to unlock a large door.

"The corpse will be burnt because of health and safty" Lester tried explaining to Howard, still not working.

"But I could see if he was dead before he fell in the Thames" Howard tried to reason.

"Must we hear this ridiculous theroies again?" Lester yelled, Saboo agreeing with him, earning him a look.

"There is nothing ridiculous about it sir, there are different and more effective ways to slove crime now-" Howard was cut off as the large door opened, the six of them walking down towards a two-tiered prison, alives with the sounds of moans, groans and cries of insanity. The cells are full with men teid with chains, their bodies thin and ragged, wild looks in their eyes of madeness. Some free ones are againest the bars, watching them walk past.

"Our first prison is alright against fire and some violence, but if we could to more to ensure justice, then criminals would have something more to fear from the police" Howard said.

"Shouldn't they fear us now?" Spider asked, curious what way Howard was going.

"Well just look aorund you, not excatly much room here or in the courts" Howard indicated to the full cells.

"That's just means we're doing a good job then" Rudi said, looking over at his boss for conformation, who just nodded sagely.

"And just how many innocents are in here? How many victims are buried while their true murders run free?" Howard shouted, trying to drive his point into the thicks skulls of his workmates.

Lester sits behind a desk, while other guards are waiting to process beaten and bloody prisoners "A few if any, to be truthful"

"And how you've pried cofessions from those poor innocents, quite literally is awful" Howard kept grinding his point in.

"For you who calls yourself a Federealist, you've turned into quite a liberalist" Saboo said, coolly.

"No, not a liberalist, a equalist. Equal rights for everyone" Howard gave saboo a ahteful glare before the magistrate began whispering in the chief constable's ear. Rudi and Spider wheel the corpse to another room, as Saboo finshes, a slight smile on Lester's face "There is a farming community, ten days journey north from London in the highlands of the peak district. It is named Sleepy Hollow and within a fortnight, three people have been murdered there, each with their head lopped cleanly off. The elders of the Hollow have sent letters to me requesting assistance, and I have chosen you"

"Chosen me, sir? Why?" Howard asks, suspious.

"Well, your 'methods' have had no application and so you can take your experiments to Sleepy Hollow and catch the murderer who has tainted the place, then bring him here to face our good justice. Will you do this for me?" Lester begged.

"Alright, I'll do it" Howard said, swallowing down any doubt he had about the job. He bows and moves away, going towards the room Rudi and Spider took the body. He watches with bitter regret in the darkness as the corpse burns in an incinerater, the flesh sizzling off the bones. Rudi pumps a bellow which fans the flames to burn the body faster, the smell overpowering and rancid as the bones slowly turn to dust.

--

I'm stopping it there for now I hope this goes alright, I've not done a horror before lol Enjoy ;) from chugirl2526.


	2. Chapter 2

Booshy Hollow.

Summery- After a series of murders have been carried out at the small village of Sleepy Hollow, constable Howard Crane has been called out to investigate them. Can he slove the mystery with his new friend Naboo and his new love interest, the mysterious Vince Van Tassel?

Disclaimer- I do not own the boosh, I do not own Sleepy Hollow either, Tim Burton does. Great director he is :)

Author's Notes- Thanks to everyone who reviewed so far and special thanks to stars of andromeda for informing me Sleepy Hollow is in fact in England :) I thought it was based in America in the film lol

--

The Next Day...

The streets were busy with the sounds of people selling their wares on the market, pigs roaming free to pick up any scraps and rubbish for food. Some people went by in carriages, as many others walked along admiring the selection of things on sale. One building behind a stall selling fruits and vegetables, was the home of one Howard Crane.

On the second floor of the house, was the main bedroom. It was quite large with many books, papers and jars of chemicals littering the floor and the many shelves, charts of human anatomy covering the walls. Howard himself, was standing next to the open window, holding a bird cage containing a large red bird "Goodbye, my sweet pet. A sad farewell to you, my friend" He said, before releasing the bird, watching as it flew into the distance. He then looked down to see the coach taking him to Sleepy Hollow park by the stall.

Howard finished packing the essantials he would be needing and made his way out the house, locking up before clambering into the carriage. The driver started the long journey by gently whipping the horse, its hoofbeats clip-calpping on the cobblestones. An hour later, Howard found himself in the English countryside, the large green hills rolling in the distance, grey clouds gathering as a sort of forbading warning.

A few minutes later, a light rain showered down upon the carriage, water dripping slowly down the window as Howard looked out, quite tired and bored from the journey. He looks down at his hands, seeing the many small scars covering his smooth skin of his palms, before sighing and looking out the window once more.

--

Near the forests outside the village of Sleepy Hollow, two familes of migrant workers travel down a worn path that leads to over-burdened horses, satchels tied to their saddles. They watch as Howard's carriage travel from the other direction, the constable looking out the window, unafraid.

The coach drives towards two vine covered pillers, pieces crumbling off, then stops just outside "This is where you get off, gov'ner" The driver replied, gruffly as Howard got off, carrying his baggage with him. He looked up at the grey-white pillers with unease, before turning to see the coach quickly driving away. He gather his luggage in his hands and started walking down the lone, dust, straight road towards the village. He dosen't however see the three dead ravens, hanging on the large branch of a dead tree behind him. The pieces of twine were tight around their thin necks, their beady black eyes opened to the skies.

He keeps walking until he gets deep inside the village square. The village is bordered by brown, wooden houses and buildings , the after-rain mist spreading along the barren ground making it seems almost myterious, spooky. A church and graveyard is situated at one end of the small village, the thin fog drifting around the grey tombstones.

A quiet conversation is going on between two men sitting outside a tavern, looking at Howard as we walked by. A criminal was sitting in the stocks, his eyes drawn with fear and tiredness as he waited to be released. Howard hears a quiet crying noise and looks up to a near-by building to see an old woman sobbing in a window.

Ahead of him on a large hill, was a large mansion, dark and forebading againest the greying sky. He goes up the pathway going to the mansion entrance when he sees a group of children playing in front of the grand building, a young blindfolded man in the middle of the circle of kids and being spinned by a large man with curly brown hair and wearing an all blue suit and trousers.

"This is such a stupid game, Fossil" The young man shouted, getting dizzy from all the spinning.

"Come on, Vincey. Stop being a wimp and play" The young man- Vince reached out to find the large man- Fossil, as he backed away laughing with two sisters, Ultra and Neon. Howard strides up to them and coughs politely, no-one notising him as they continued the game, until two other girls, Ebola and Antrax pulled on his fingers "Come on, you've gonna play with us"

Before he could protest, Howard found himself being pushed into Vince's arms "Hey, I've finally caught someone, Now can we finish?" The younger man asked.

"First you have to say who it is" Ultra giggled with her sister, Vince raises his hands to Howard's face and touches the soft skin, making him uncomfortable and Fossil jealous "At least make a guess" Neon called out.

"I dunno, is it Fossil?" Vince asked, making the girls laugh. Howard also gave a small smile before releasing the younger man from his blindfold prison, gasping at the beauty underneath. Baby blue eyes were set with pointed features, full lips and a slightly shaped nose, the whole thing framed with longish black hair. His frame was thin, but tall and sturdy and a slight blush bought colour to his pale skin "I'm sorry, I didn't know about you"

"No problem, I'm actually looking for Victoria Gidon Van Tassel" Howard said, gently as the blush started to deepen on Vince's face "Yes, she is my mother" The younger man answered, looking away shyly.

"What we don't know is your name yet" Fossil demanded.

"Unless you're Victoria, then it's none of your business" Howard said coolly, making Fossil fly towards him with his fist raised. Vince stepped in front of Howard to protect him "Hey, Fossil. Ease off him"

"What's going on here?" A eastern European accent rang out, causing everyone to look over at the opened front door. A woman in her 40's was stood in the doorway, her dark hair tied up in a bun. Behind her was a tall man with a large blond moustace and blond hair "That's my father-in-law, Dixon Van Tassel" Vince whispered quietly yo Howard, almost afraid of the man.

"Can I help you, sir?" Victoria asked, her eyes curious "Yes, I have been sent from London with this letter, I understand you offer me room and board" Howard answered, notising all the children had stopped playing in fear and hide behind Vince "But I wish it best that we speak alone"

"Of course, please follow me" Victoria agreed, showing the way into the house. Dixon moved from behind his wife and walked quite angerily towards Vince "Don't you think this is a bad time to play around, Vince?"

"They're just kids, we were just playing to pass the time" Vince replied meekly, trying to back away from the taller man while protecting the children. Dixon snorts in disgust and anger, then moves away from the group with Vince following him into the house with Victoria and Howard.

--

Doctor Bryan Ferry takes a seat by the fire in the parlor of the mansion, joining Howard and three other elders. A yound servent, Kirk comes in bringing a pipe cradle as Dixon sits down near by.

"Thank you, now constable Crane, we are joined today by doctor Bryan Ferry, clergyman Harold Boom and our noble magistrate Lance Dior" Howard couldn't help but notise Lance looked a bit like Vince, only not as beautiful, his face wasn't as smooth, his hair didn't shine as much. He also notised the clergyman looked sort of like himself, but he didn't say anything to upset anyone.

Dixon cleared his throat before carrying on "I am into charge of all finacial matters of this village, and this fine person to the left of me is our notery, Tommy Nooka" The gentleman had quite a large head, but again Howard didn't say anything to not offend anyone.

"This is an honor to speak to you all. I will need all the infomation you have on these murders, but I ask you all now if you have any idea who the killer might be?" Howard asked, getting shocked glances from everyone. Lance gave a quick glance to Dixon before answering Howard "To be truthful, you were not what we expected, mate"

"What do you mean?" Howard asked, a bit annoyed.

"Well, didn't your boss tell you a lot about this job?" Bryan asked back.

"They just told me that the victims were beheaded..." Harold just shook his head in disgust "The heads were never found, they were taken by the Headless Horseman, taken back to hell"

"I don't beileve that" Howard said, giving a disbeliving look to everyone in the room. When they all gave him a ahrd stare back, he started changing his mind "So, you haven't really been well informed of our troubles..."

"I will explain then, the horseman was a cockney murderer, sent to us by London to keep the criminals at bay. However, he came willingly, for love of carnage. He was famous for charging hard into battle on his horse Boffo, chopping off heads at full speed. Just to look on him made your blood run cold, he had filed down his teeth to rapiers to add to the ferocity of his appearance and the cold, blodthirsty look in his polo vision could turn you to stone. He wouldn't meet his end till the winter of seventy-nine..."

+Flashback+

_The green skinned cockney ran for his life from the soliders chasing after him, rifles firing after him. He came to a dead end surrounded by tall rocks and one of the soliders raised a gun, firing so the bullet landed into the horseman's arm, blood spraying fresh from the wound, his sword falling helplessly from his now useless hand. A second solider grabs the sword as they run after the cockney._

_The horseman turns to face the soliders, reaching behind his back to grasp a steathed knife, before throwing it perfectly into one of the solider's eye socket, blood splashing and making him fall instantly. He then readies an axe also from behind his back, then starts battling with the other three soliders, steel againest steel._

_The horseman manages to fend off all the attacks, until a solider lunges and buries his sword right to the hilt into the cockney's side, the sound of flesh being sliced and bones being broken could be heard echoing around the rock enclosure that trapped them. The cockney brings his axe down and breaks the sword at the hilt. He brings the axe up once more, striking another solider down in a slash of blood and broken bits of bone._

_The horesman staggers, howling in pain as he tries to pull the blade from his ribcage and as the remaining soliders close in..._

+Flashback Ends+

"Apparently, he cut off his head with his own sowrd, the legend as been around for twenty years" Lance explained, a afaraway look in his eyes.

"Only recently has the headless horseman been seen around the forests and our village, looking for a head to fit his own shoulders" Dixon concluded, sighed sadly.

"No one knows if it's him to be sure, or why now he chooses to come out of his grave" Bryan kept on, keeping a hard stare on Howard.

"Fien, I will everything I can to find your 'horseman', but I'll be looking for a human male, not some goblin from hell" Howard replied, determinded to do his best.

--

Sorry about the violence, but I hope he turns out fine from chugirl2526


	3. Chapter 3

Booshy Hollow.

Summery- After a series of murders have been carried out at the small village of Sleepy Hollow, constable Howard Crane has been called out to investigate them. Can he slove the mystery with his new friend Naboo and his new love interest, the mysterious Vince Van Tassel?

Disclaimer- I do not own the boosh, I do not own Sleepy Hollow either, Tim Burton does. Great director he is :)

Author's Notes- Thanks to everyone who reviewed so far. I hope I've done victorian Vince and Howard alright hehe

--

It was early evening when the villagers gathered in the square, the setting sun giving the town a dusky feeling. The last few rays of orange from the dying sun shone behind the belltower, which was covered in sharp, rusty spikes. Howard, Gideon and Dixon stood at the back of the crowd, Howard remembering seeing a man sitting in the crow's nest on top of the tower. The man climbed down using a rope ladder, as armed man gather at the bottom. Lance Doir sat on horseback, addressing the crowd.

"Listen to me, all of you. Now's the time to choose who will be the next to go into the crow's nest for the night and each man's name has been placed in the box" Lance grabbed ahold of a small, black box someone passed to him and he grabbed a piece of paper, holding it up to the remaining light to read the name written down "May the Lord watch over him...Bollo"

People gasped with shock in the crowd as they parted to reveal a large, black furred gorilla, wearing a quiver full of arrows and a bow. A small, youngish man next to him, wearing blue robes and a blue turban "Bollo take responsibility, Bollo ready"

"No way, Bollo. You're my familiar, you can't go" The young man pleaded, stepping in front of his friend before looking up to Lance "He's already done this, why should he do it again? He nearly died last time"

"It like lottery, could have been anyone here Naboo" The wise gorilla answered.

"Then I'm coming with you, you'll need my help" Naboo tried to reason with his familiar, but Bollo gave him a stern look "No, Naboo stay here, Bollo go on his own" He looks up to the crowd "Will someone look after him please?" Fossil nodded and walked forwards and takes Naboo, not before the gorilla gave his master a pat on the back before moving to the rope ladder going up to the crow's nest.

Howard watched as Naboo was taken away from the scene, then looked at the smaller man "Don't worry, sir. Nothing will harm him from up there, it's the problems on the ground tou people should be worried about" He then watched as Bollo climbed the ladder to the high perch above "Leave him a horse" Lance desided, before leaving as well.

--

The star filled sky and full moon cast a perfect scene above the Van Tassel mansion, giving it an unearthly glow. Inside his room, Howard was sitting at a desk and wrote down the days events in a ledger, not notising the younger Van Tassel behind him "You will dream so much with this stuff" He whirled around to see Vince smiling at him, strolling in and sitting on the bed "It's something in the air so that dreams come to everyone. According to the elders here, an Indian prophet cast spells here before the land was taken and those spells cast then still linger today"

"Do you always sit on stranger's beds?" Howard asked, slightly nervous talking to the stunning creature in front of him.

"Are you always this old-fashioned?" Vince asked back, smirking as he moved slowly closer to Howard..

"That's your opinion really, little man. Though looks like you already did" Howard turned back to his ledger, hoping Vince would leave.

"I should really say sorry for Fossil's behaviour before, but it seems I've made things worst. I'll leave you alone now" Vince made to get up and move towards the door, but was stopped by Howard's voice.

"No, I should say sorry..I just have no love for..." Vince raised an eyebrow coyly at Howard's nervousness and smirked "What? Other people?"

"No, small talk" Howard said, sporting his own smirk. He raised off his chair and graciously offered it to Vince, who take the offer and sits down in it. Howard remains standing as it's the only chair in the room.

"Are you always this nervous around attractive, young men?" Vince asked, quite smugly.

"I think it's probably because your 'suitor' nearly strangled me before" Vince looked confused at this "My suitor?"

"Yeah, that Fossil fellow. For someone who's your friend, he's certainly jealous" Howard answered, making Vince laugh "Yeah, he's proposed twice, the nutjob"

"That explains him then, to ask twice means you shot him down at least once" Vince looked down at his black boots, before looking back up with a smile "I've read all about that London place you've come from, you have to tell me all about it. Sounds a great place to live"

"It is, but first tell me everything you know about the headless horseman" Howard knew he hit something good for his research as Vince paled slighty and looked away for a moment, shyly.

--

In the belltower, Bollo starts setting up a large rifle and was having difficulty putting the bullets in, his fingers being slightly too big. Thunder boomed and echoed suddenly as he stood up, watching and listening as the ground trembled. The gorilla gripped his rilfe tightly and sees a heard of deer stampede out of the forest outside the border of the village.

A thick fog creeps out of the forest, drifting quickly along the ground towards the belltower. It snaked up and snuffs out the flames of the torches around the tower, as Bollo aims the now ready rifle at the trees "Come out, Bollo ready..."

--

Back in Howard's room, he was leaning againest an wooden dresser as Vince started his story, still seated "Not everyone thinks it's the horseman, some thinks it's witches from the western woods to steal skulls for spells. Some believe that someone is a devil worshipper and offers these deaths as sacrifices and some just don't believe it at all"

"Are you supersitious like them?" Howard asked, curious.

"If they were supersitious, it'd be like saying they fear magic, but not all magic is black" Vince explained.

"There's no such thing as magic you know" Howard said, looking at Vince strangely.

"Really? Course there is, otherwise how would those poets that say magic is in a rose at full bloom, or even in a teardrop?" The younger man asked, eyebrow raised once more.

"That they are full of it" Howard smirked back, making Vince laugh "You're so funny, mate" Howard didn't know what was so funny about that, but jumped slightly as he heard the bell ring out. Vince looked around fearfully, before rushing over to open the window, looking outside at the quiet village.

A man comes out of his barn to listen to the bell, before moving inside his house. Windows shut tightly and lights go out as Howard bounds out from the mansion, halting to listen. Vince and Dixon come out onto the porch to watch him "Constable Crane, where are you going?"

Howard never answered back, instead running out to the square "Absolute madness" Dixon muttered quietly. Vince tried to run after Howard, by was pulled back inside protesting by his father-in-law.

Howard chages across the square, stopping as he got to the centre. The belltower was down, its mast smashed into bits and the crow's nest broken into hundreds of piece, Bollo and the horse no where to be seen.

Bollo was currently running around the village back to the forest, gripping his bow tightly as he heard hoofbeats loudly behind him, knowing he was being followed. Looking behind him, he could see the headless horseman getting closer to him, so he started getting his arrows ready. Unfortunatly, his large monkey hands made placing the arrows in the bow difficult. He sees the horseman getting closer and scambles backwards through the undergroth of the large trees.

As the horseman gets closer, Bollo gives up the fight and closes his eyes to his fate, the horse halts astride him, two legs each side of the old gorilla.

--

Sorry if this is a late update, but my internet wasn't working last night hehe I hope i haven't upset too many people with Bollo's death :( from chugirl2526


	4. Chapter 4

Booshy Hollow.

Summery- After a series of murders have been carried out at the small village of Sleepy Hollow, constable Howard Crane has been called out to investigate them. Can he slove the mystery with his new friend Naboo and his new love interest, the mysterious Vince Van Tassel?

Disclaimer- I do not own the boosh, I do not own Sleepy Hollow either, Tim Burton does. Great director he is :)

Author's Notes- Thanks to everyone who reviewed so far. I would like to say sorry in advanced for Bollo's death :( sorry if it offended any Bollo fans out there. This chapter will contain some gore and stuff hehe. also had to change a name here cause i used Lester in the first chapter lol

--

The next morning, Howard rides out across the farmlands with Lance Doir, Victoria Van Tassel, Dixon Van Tassel, Fossil and a large man on horseback, Howard was having problems riding his horse "First the Van Garretts die, a father and his son, then the widow Windsor next..."

"And now Bollo" Lance finished, keeping his eyes directly on the road in front of him, leading to the forest.

"Why would he run this way? There's too mush over ground for him to cross before he was safe under cover" Howard poundered, looking back along the road at their surroundings. Nothing but empty, dry fields around them, birds sometimes landing on the barren soil to occationally peck for seeds.

"He would not have gone in the western woods, no sane man would have" Lance replied, taking a swig from a silver whiskey flask he bought with him. He sees Howard watching him and offers the constable some, who declined "Now you see, Kodiak Jack in front of us found the body this morning. Do you believe us now?"

"What do you mean 'believe'?" Howard asked confused.

"Well, you said youself 'What mere man could knock down the belltower?'" Dixon sneered.

Howard ignored him "It's all a matter of a test of science, Lance. Just because something improbable happens, dosen't mean you should thinks it was something magicial that caused it"

"You need some more common sense really" Lance replied, fingering an iron key tailsman he wears around his neck.

"Is that what you wear?" Howard asked, curiously.

"It will protect me againest the horseman if I show a brave face. If I run away in fear, it will be worthless" The magistrate replied, before moving further on.

"Well, so much for common sense..." Howard muttered to himself, ordering his horse to catch up with the rest. As they got further by the forest, Fossil and Victoria got off their horses to stand by another horses corpse amongst jagged boulders. Its flesh had been stripped from its body, its lifeless eyes staring up at them as flies gathered around it. The others dismount and join them.

"Was this Bollos?" Howard asked, a little disgusted at the sight.

"Yes, but it seems it ran off in a panic and broke two of its legs" Dixon said coldly.

"What happened to the meat of the poor beast?" Howard asked again.

"Must have been the Spirit of Jazz, he lives in the western woods" Victoria answered.

"Those woods must be a bit full, what with this spirit, witches and ghosts there" Howard joked, earning a cold look from Fossil.

"There's only one of him. He comes out only to small fluffy creatures and naughty children. Maybe he even eats the occational nosy constables too" Fossil replied, getting on his horse and riding off. Howard shook his head and turned back to the dead horse, kneeling down to get a thin iron tool from his pocket and pried off a horseshoe.

Everyone then hears a whistle and looks up to where Kodiak Jack had ridden to, pointing to where the doctor was. Doctor Bryan Ferry stood with several armed men, a large coffin was on top a a larger cart, covered by a blanket. Howard crouched to the ground nearby "Why did you move the body?"

"I had to place it within the coffin" Bryan defended himself. Howard was annoyed by this answered, but nodded anyway as he places the horseshoe into an ident in the dirt, seeing how well it fitted. He raises and walks about, studying the ground and kicking up the leaves as Fossil, Victoria, Dixon and Lance watch him, confused.

Howard then finds a deeped hoofprint in the dirt and compares it to the horseshoe in his hand, finding the print was much larger. He pulls his brown satchel off his shoulder and takes out a bowl, a bottle of water and a bag of borwn powder. He starts mixing them all together with a frok to make some plaster. The other watch on amazed and confused at the sight, unil Fossil had enough and stood over Howard "What the hell are you doing?"

Howard ignores his question "You're the resident dumb blacksmith, ever seen hooves this big?"

"Actually no, I would somewhat remember" Fossil answered.

Howard starts to fill the print with his now ready plaster "Jack, can you show me where the body lay?"

Jack agreed and got off his horse, Howard raising up to follow him "Right over here, in front of this oak tree..."

Howard then takes out a bottle of white powder and cautiously pours it on the dirt in a small 'x'. The powder then bubbles from the chemical reaction "There was not much blood here, was there?"

"I didn't see any at all" Jack answered, a bit confused. Howard walks back over to the cart confused, taking off the blanket to reveal Bollo's headless corpse. Lance can't watch and looks away as Howard takes starnge looking glasses from his satchel, wired frmaes with loads of lens attached. He leans in and examines the gross neck wound, poking at the flesh and the severed spinal cord.

"There's no bleeding, it should have been bleeding by the the pintfuls by now. Whetever weapon was used, instantly burnt the wound shut" Everyone shurrdered and glanced at each other.

--

A few hours later, the whole village congregated in the cruchyard, surrounding a large freshly dug grave with a coffin in it. The tombstone reads simply 'Bollo- 1799' and the young man from before, Naboo stood near, not crying but was devestated, quietly brooding. The clergyman Harold Boon steps forwards to take a handful of newly dug dirt, muttering his prayers as he sprinkles it over the grave.

Howard looked up from his position by the grave and sees Vince stood between his mother and father-in-law. The younger Van Tassel looks up to him and gives him a small, shaky but sure smile, which Howard returns. Dixon notises this and elbows Vince hard in the shoulder, causing his son-in-law to look him in the eyes with fear, then bak down to the ground with a frown.

After the service, Howard went with the Van Tassels back to their manor, followed by Kodiak Jack, his wife Eleanor and their two children Ebola and Antrax for supper at the mansion. After supper, Howard is about to leave the house once more until he is confronted by Naboo "Listen, I'm not here for revenge, only for justice"

"Whatever, you still need someone to help you and tend to your things" Naboo replied with his lisp.

"I'm doing fine alone, why can't you ge that?" Howard nearly yelled.

"I deserve to help you, don't you see how much this means to me? Bollo, my familiar, was a great friend, a wise gorilla..." Naboo tried arguing.

"Look, I'm sorry for your loss. But I can't be the one to look after you now!" Howard did yell this time.

Naboo's face set hard as he yelled back "I didn't ask you to, did I?" He stormed out of the house while Howard watches passive. After a few minutes, he walked out onto the porch and saw Dixon talking to a tallish man wearing black glasses and sitting in a rocking chair, while Doctor Ferry looks out into the distance using a spyglass.

"Constable Crane, how are you?" Dixon asked, just notising him.

"Fine thanks, the villagers seems to know how to honor their dead" Howard answered.

"What a curious sight!" Bryan says, turning to Howard and offering him the spyglass "Have a look at the Spirit of Jazz, he spies on use every now and again"

Howard takes the spyglass and looks through it at the forest. He sees a tall man with black skin with white markings, wearing a bright white suit and a white top hat, which was on fire. The spirit then disappears back into the forest and Howard lowers the spyglass in awe.

"Excuse me Constable, but I must leave you and Hamilton Cork here. Me and the good doctor have some...financial matters to discuss" Dixon said. The two men nodding as he and Bryan went inside.

"Howard, nice to meet you. I'm sure you've heard all about the horseman, hey?" Hamilton introduced cheerfully.

"More then enough thanks, but please no more tonight" Howard joked tiredly.

"I reckon the murderer was the guy you saw through that spyglass, but I'm blind so I don't rightly know" Hamilton admitted, as Howard pondered this infomation for a minute.

"What's going to happen to Naboo now?" He asked, curiously.

"Well, Kodiak Jack said he and his wife would take him in, but the young shaman would do fine on his own in my opinion" Howard looked through the dining room window to see Jack rising up from the table, looking quite ill. Elanor seems to be questioning her husband about his health, which he promptly shook off, then threw up. Howard gave a small disgusted sigh and couldn't agree with Hamilton more.

He waited until dusk to look for Naboo, getting infomation that he was in the orchard behind the mansion. As he rode through the dead apple trees, their branches bare and their trunks rotton, he saw Naboo sitting with his back to him, looking out into the distance as his horse was grazing. Howard rode up behind the shaman, seeing that he never looked up once "If you want to help me, then find a servent's room and wake me before dawn. The first task will be rough"

Howard turned and rode back to the mansion, smilind as he looked back and saw Naboo riding behind him.

--

Sorry about the long update work and I've been a bit ill with that curse called 'writer's block'. lol I'll try and put more Vince up in the next chapter, I promise from chugirl2526.


	5. Chapter 5

Booshy Hollow.

Summery- After a series of murders have been carried out at the small village of Sleepy Hollow, constable Howard Crane has been called out to investigate them. Can he slove the mystery with his new friend Naboo and his new love interest, the mysterious Vince Van Tassel?

Disclaimer- I do not own the boosh, I do not own Sleepy Hollow either, Tim Burton does. Great director he is :)

Author's Notes- Thanks to everyone who reviewed so far, espically a new reviewer 666thedevilschild666 :) and also Jake Hendricks. I would like to say sorry in advanced for Bollo's death :( sorry if it offended any Bollo fans out there. This chapter will contain some gore and stuff hehe.

--

Early next morning, Naboo woke Howard up like he asked and they both rode to the graveyard, taking two able men with them to dig up the coffins. The clergyman Harold Boon watched over this, outraged "You can't do this, it's unholy!"

"I need to inspect the bodies properly" Howard explained.

"Can't you do anything about this, Lance?" Harold pleded, but Lance just gives him a helpless expression, which wasn't easy with an hangover "I will not allow this travesty to happen"

"Then you should have spoke to my bosses about it then" Howard nearly yelled.

"But your bosses are two days away" Harold tried reasoning.

"Then you should have left two days ago, because I need this done today" The clergyman gave him a disapproving scowl and rode off, leaving Howard to his work. A few hours later, three graves were dug up- Van Garret and his son and the widow Winsor's. The lids were opened to reveal the three headless bodies of the victims, making Naboo look away slightly.

Howard then notises something about the widow, stepping back aghast "Why didn't someone say something about this?" He yelled, looking down at the bulbous belly of the corpse, concluding she was heavily pregnant at the time. He then sees a tear in the cloth of her blouse and feels her stomach through the tear, then straightens up quickly "We need to get her to a doctor"

--

They quickly took the corpse to Doctor Ferry's office, laying the body on a operating table. Howard takes a pair of scissors and cuts the rest of the blouse off, revealing an inch long knife wound on the belly. Bryan and Naboo watch in a corner, nervously as Howard writes notes down in his ledger "There has to be some kind of link between the victims, and we have to discover the reason for the murders. I mean, the wounds all look the same, one single stroke to the head. Doctor, have you seen this, the spinal bone sliced as smooth as butter?"

"I haven't. I know I've welcomed you to use my office, but please put her back in her resting place" Bryan pleded.

"I will once I've finished, now you both may want to leave the room" Howard promised, picking up an iron knife. An hour later, he emerged from the office, covered in blood "We are dealing with a madman, he stole the widow's child" He annoced to the doctor and Naboo.

The two men came back and took the body over to the graveyard, restoring her and the Van Garrets to their resting places "I hope the Lord never forgives your sins, Howard Crane!" Harold cursed, slamming the church doors behind him as Howard watches him.

Later on when it got darker, Howard rode along the village, crossing the small bridge that spanned over the small river in the centre. As he got to the other side, he heard another horse neighing, looking behind him to see a headless figure holding a lit-up pumpkin. Fearing for his life, Howard forced his horse to gallop off into the forest, the mysterious figure chasing after him.

Halfway through their chase, Howard stopped his horse and turned around, seeing the horseman had stopped too. The figure threw the pumpkin at him, which smacked Howard upside the head and off his horse, splattering into many pieces as he watched the horseman gallop away. The life frightened out of him, he prometly fainted, not knowing that the horseman was in fact Fossil, playing a trick on him to scare him away.

--

That night, Howard dreamt of his past...

_He sees himself, aged ten standing in a wheat field as a female voice calls out to him faintly, but soon got louder and louder "Howard...Howard...come along now" He turns and smiles as he runs to a clearing behind his house, where his mother waits for him. She hugs him close and kisses his forehead. He watched as his mother placed a small bouquet of flowers into the fire, drawing pictures in the ash as she sang._

_That night, Howard pretends to be asleep in his room as his mother has her back to him, whispering to no-one in particular. She turns and places something in a drawer by his bed before leaving. He gets up to the drawer and curiously opens it, taking out an object underneath some clothing. It was a piece of woven reed grass, shaped into an elaborate pattern with shafts of wheat twisted in the middle. He replaces it, closes the drawer and goes back to sleep. An image of a room full of tools flashed in his mind..._

...And Howard jerks awake in fright, panting heavily as he tries to calm down. He desides he can't sleep anymore and gets all the notes he's collected, taking them down to the kitchen with a laturn. He sits down, but before he starts looking through his ledger he sees a light coming from the end of the hallway. He follows the light and enters a sewing room, noticing Vince was sitting in a large chair in front of him, reading a shabby, small book by candle light. The young Van Tassel looks up to him and smiles.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to distrub you. I'll leave now" Howard shyly said. Vince just closes his book and puts it with another in this lap, covering them both.

"Nah, you didn't disturb me. Stay with me, nice to have some company. Were you having trouble sleeping?" Vince asked, concerned.

Howard ignored his question "Why are you covering your books?"

"They were my father's books, my mother wouldn't approve of them, unless it's the bible. She believes tals of romance and magic was the thing that gave my father brain fever, he didn't survive it. The male nurse who looked after him is my father-in-law" Vince admitted, watching Howard with a smile.

Howard looked down at the large bible on the table and opened the cover, staring at a family tree bearing the names 'Van Garret' and 'Van Tassel' "Why didn't anyone say your family were related to the Van Garrets?"

"Everyone knows about it, they are either related or married to one of our kin" Vince answered "This land were on now, this was Van Garret land. It was given to my parents when I was a kid. They worked for the Van Garrets and they were given a acre of land and a rundown cottage. They worked hard to get to where they are now, do you want to see the cottage?"

"Yes, I would like to" Howard answered, making the young Van Tassel smile, as they looked out the window at the misty dawn.

"I have a present for you" Vince reached into one of his coat pockets and pulled out a small book, the title 'A Conpendium of Spells, Charms and Devices of the Spirit World' is printed on the front "Keep it close to your heart"

Howard hesistated in taking it, opening the cover to reveal two names- Vince Van Tassel and Graham Van Tassel "This was your father's book?"

Vince nodded "It'll protect you againest any harm" Howard smiled at him and placed the book inside his jacket pocket. They both walked out of the house and rode towards a burnt down house, only the large fireplace stood proud. Howard helped Vince off his horse, and the younger man held his hands out flat, his thin fingers quickly sliding over the small, many scars on his palms "How'd you get these?"

"I've had then since my childhood, how I got them I can't remember" Howard answered, touched by Vince's concern. They went inside and Vince knelt by the open fireplace "I used to play here as a child, my first drawing place with my father as my teacher" He grabbed a small stick and drew shapes in the old ashes. Howard looked on, images of his mother and past flashed before his eyes "If you look right in the back, you can see a carving of an archer, it's been there before we even lived here"

Howard walked away from the fireplace and Vince noticed "You alright?"

"Yes, thanks" Vince smiled at him and looked up to the trees, seeing a red bird staring down at them "A cardinal, I wish I could tame it and have it as a pet, but it'll be wrong"

Howard looked up, then back to Vince with a grin on his face "Then I have a gift for you" He reaches into his coat pocket and pulls out a disc with string tied either side, on one side was a red bird, the other a cage "When you spin this round, the bird appears in the cage, see?"

He smiles at the look of childish wonder on Vince's face "I knew you could do magic, can I keep it?"

Howard gave it to him "It's not magic, but an optical illusion. Truth made simple" Vince gave him a confused look, before playing with the disc again.

--

That night, Howard walked through the village and sees four figures arguing through a window- Bryan Ferry, Lance Doir, Harold Boon and Tommy Nooka. He hid round the corner of the house and saw Lance walk out of the house, going out of the village with a horse and small cart. He followed the man as he walked past the forest "What are you running from?" He called out.

"Helping you has put me in mortal danger, so I'm leaving" Lance answered.

"Did you know the widow Winsor was expecting a child?" Howard asked, curious.

"Yes, she told me and the name of the father. She wanted advice on how to protect the rights for her child" Lance said, looking grave.

"Do you think the father killed her?" Howard asked again "No, the horseman killed her"

Howard rolled his eyes "I keep telling you, there is no horseman. There never was one" The thunder and lightening clapped above them, as a neighing sound was heard in the forest. Lance started to run up the small hill they were standing on as the horseman galloped from the trees, brandish its sword. It rushed past Howard, knocking him down and quickly sliced off Lance's head.

The severed body part rolled down the hill and settled between Howard's legs, much to his horror. He looked up to see the horseman raising his sword once more and rushing towards him, only to thrust the sword down into the head and gallop off back into the forest with it. Howard felt as if he was going to be sick, but instead fainted hard onto the soft grass below him.

--

Sorry about the late update please forgive me hehe and enjoy :) from chugirl2526.


	6. Chapter 6

Booshy Hollow.

Summery- After a series of murders have been carried out at the small village of Sleepy Hollow, constable Howard Crane has been called out to investigate them. Can he slove the mystery with his new friend Naboo and his new love interest, the mysterious Vince Van Tassel?

Disclaimer- I do not own the boosh, I do not own Sleepy Hollow either, Tim Burton does. Great director he is :)

Author's Notes- Thanks to everyone who reviewed so far, espically a new reviewer 666thedevilschild666 :) and also stars of andromeda :).

--

Outside his room, Naboo, Vince and Victoria knocked and waited for Howard to allow them in. Since they found him out cold in the fields and bought him back to the mansion, he never allowed them in for fear "Has he come out at all?" Victoria asked.

Vince and Naboo both shook their heads, so they all went in without permission. Howard was cowering up against the corner of his bed, blanket raised up to his eyes "It was the headless horseman, I saw it. You must believe me, it was a dead headless horseman" He yelled out, panic striken.

"I know, I know" Victoria tried calming him down.

"No, you don't know because you weren't there. It's just all true" Howard yelled out again, fear deep in his eyes.

"We know it's true, I told you, I mean everyone told you" Victoria said once more. Howard stared at the three for a minute before admmiting "I saw him..." Then promptly fainted again. As he slept, he dreamt of his past again.

_His mother was stood in the large clearing, flowers and trees surrounding her. She blew on a puffy flower, making the seeds fly everywhere. Young Howard walked between the trees until he caught sight of her, spinning around happily as he walked nearer. She caught hold of his hands and spun him round with her, both enjoy the game until Howard fell backwards onto the ground. He watched as his mother still spun around on her own, faster and faster until she was floating._

_That night, he caught his parents in the large room with the fireplace. His father, an emotionless priest grabbed his mother by her hairand dragged her to the fireplace, pointing at the starnge markings she made in the ash two nights ago. Howard watched as his father yanked her back up by her arms and marched her down an hallway towards the small white churchroom he made, a mencing red door at the other end..._

Howard woke with a start, gasping out loud as he tried to collect his thoughts. Downstairs, everyone was waiting for him to make a desicion, which only took five minutes until he walked down the stairs with Naboo "Gentlemen, I need as many able men to go with me into the western woods. I am now determinded to find the horseman's grave. Who's with me?"

No-one spoke except a lispy voice of the small shaman behind him said "Me"

--

They both rode through the western woods, the trees bare and mist crawling across the ground "The Van Garrets, the widow Windsor, your familiar Bollo and now Lance Doir. What's the connection between them? Did Bollo have deals with the Van Garrets?"

"He worked for them as well as me, whenever I didn't need him to stir the caludron and that. But a week before the murder, I heard an arugument between mr Van Garret and his son, then Bollo was asked for later by the father" Naboo admitted.

"An arugument between father and son, hey? Then asks for their part-time servent Bollo..." Howard thought, trying to piece everything together.

"Listen, there's no birds calling, no crickets. It's completely silent" Naboo said, a chill going down both their backs.

"I suggest we quicken our pace then" Howard answered, snapping his horse reins to make him go quicker, Naboo following suit. On they rode deeper into the woods until they came to a cave set deep in some rocks. They both got off their horse and tied the reins to sturdy trees, before walking to the cave on foot. Howard pulled a pistol from inside his coat as they got nearer to the doorway.

Walking inside, they saw someone crouched near a fire, not noticing them. Candles were lit everywhere, showing bottles and jars of ingridents and potions in their light "Excuse us, but we need some help. We need infomation on the headless horseman" Howard said. The figure placed down with his green arm a dead cardinal, which made Howard gulp in fear.

The figure got up to show a torn pink tutu, ripped silver bodysuit and dirty white boots. The face was hidden with lanky, dirty green seaweed for hair, as he placed a scaly hand on Howard's shoulder "You will come with Gregg, fuzzy man peach. You shaman will wait outside and not come in, no matter how much screaming there is"

As Naboo left the cave, Gregg took Howard over to an old table, covered with more ingredients and bowls. On Gregg's side of the table were some shackles and chains attached to the table, which he latched onto his own wrists. He then starts making a spell, using some powder from one jar and taking a bat from a cage, lopping its head off and pouring the blood into the same bowl, smoke pouring out over the bowl "What are you doing?" Howard asks, a bit afraid and a bit curious.

"Don't move and don't speak. When the other comes, I will hold him as best as Gregg can. He comes now, so silence is needed" The mer-witch answered, sniffing in the smoke deeply before letting his head drop down, not moving. Howard moves forwards to tap Gregg on the head, but the head moves up itself, showing a deep green face with empty black eyes and blood red lips.

Gregg leaps forwards, the chains usless as he grabs Howard by the shoulders and knocking him onto his back, straddling him "_You seek the horseman. Follow the Indian trail to where the sun dies, to the tree of the dead. The horseman's final resting place_" Then stops talking and collapses on top of Howard, nearly making him faint again.

He gets from under Gregg and quickly walks out of the cave, Naboo sitting and waiting for him with a small, portable hooka on "So, what happened...?" He question went unanswered as Howard walked quickly past him towards their horse, so he followed. They rode down the start of the Indian trail, before Howard stopped them as he saw someone riding a white horse in the distnace through the trees "Wait here" He told Naboo as he got off his horse once more, towards the lone rider.

He got his pistol out once more as he searched around him, the silence of the forest getting to him. He spies the horse and hooded rider from behind a large tree, so goes over behind the rider, pistol still raised "Show yourself, or I'll shoot!"

The rider took off the hood to reveal black hair, turning their face round to show it was Vince Van Tassel, a shy grin on his face "God Vince, I could have killed you. I mean, why are you here?" Howard asked, getting closer to him.

"You said you needed help, so I've come to help with my white magic" Vince said, smiling as Howard held his hand gently. They both looked into each other's eyes and bent down low for a kiss, until they were disturbed bby Naboo.

"Hey, Casanova. You might wanna see this" The shaman said, pointing down a leafy road. All three set off down it in silence, until they saw a ginat knotted tree. Its large branches were ded and its roots dug deep underground, some grew over the top of the ground, curling into each other in a large gap in the tree trunk "The tree of the dead" Naboo whispered.

Howard strolled over to the gap of the tree where the roots curled, surprised when a drop of blood drips in front of him "Stay where you are" He tells the others as he then grabs a small axe off the back of his horse and starts chopping the curled roots. Wherever he chopped, blood poured out of the 'wound', some spraying him in the face. When he chopped enough, he pulled the usless and bloody roots out the way, until he pulled a large bit of bark out the way to reveal many severed heads gazing at his with their blank, empty eyes.

He jumped back in fright as the heads nearly fell out, Vince was nearly gagging while Naboo looked on with a disgusted look "This tree...this tree is a gateway between two worlds..." Howard then spots a sword sticking out of a rather large root, so he climbs up the tree to have a better look. Next to the sword was a large mound of disturbed soil, which he asks for a shovel and starts digging up again.

Howard uncovers a smalish grave, a headless skeleton resting inside, its bones dirty and rotton "The skull is missing...taken...that's why the horseman returns from the grave, to take heads until his is restored to him..."

The lightening flashes dangerously above them, thunder echoing in the sky. The roots under the tree open up as a large balck horse shoots out, the headless horseman at the reins as they gallop of throguh the trees towards the village. Howard quickly jumps off the root and onto his own horse, galloping off after the horsemand and leaving Vince and Naboo behind.

--

I'm leaving it here for now hehe this will be the last chapter of this story for a week, cause i will be away from chugirl2526.


	7. Chapter 7

Booshy Hollow.

Summery- After a series of murders have been carried out at the small village of Sleepy Hollow, constable Howard Crane has been called out to investigate them. Can he slove the mystery with his new friend Naboo and his new love interest, the mysterious Vince Van Tassel?

Disclaimer- I do not own the boosh, I do not own Sleepy Hollow either, Tim Burton does. Great director he is :)

Author's Notes- I'm back! Now, back to the stories Thanks to everyone who reviewed so far, I love you all Please also forgive for the next deaths in this chapter ;)

--

Back at the village, Fossil and two of the other villagers were out on guard duty. He sends the other two out in opposite directions as he rode forwards. In his home, Hamiliton Cork sat at a table in front of the fireplace, staring into the flames as he ate his supper. He then frowned as he felt his plate and cup shake under his hands, then gasped in shock as the flames grew to an enormous length. The front door then burst open as the headless horseman came storming in, his ever faithful axe in one dead hand and a sword in the other.

Hamiliton picked up a large piece of firewood, aiming it at the horseman, only for it to break too eaisly without doing any damage. He then grabbed a iron firepoker and used it as a sword, the sounds of metal clashing against each other filling the quiet of the room. Unfortunaly, the horseman was too quick and punched him in the face, knocking him into a wall before his head was cleaning chopped off.

Fossil heard the noises of smashing and clanging resounding across the silent village and rode to investigate it. He rode across the small, roofed bridge and saw the horseman walking out of Hamiliton's home and onto his horse, a burlap sack stained red in his hand. Fossil cocked his rifle, aimed and fired, knocking the horseman off his horse and onto the cold ground. The black horse rode off without its owner, as Fossil got off his own beast, striding towards the fallen horseman.

To his surprise, the body stood up quickly and walked towards him. He kneels down and starts reloading his rifle in fright, spilling most the gunpowder as the horseman walks past, and decides to use the weapon as a club, swinging it down to land hard on his enemy. The horseman somehow senses this and lifts his axe above his body, blocking the rifle as a sortof swordfight starts between them. The horseman smacks Fossil in the face, knocking him back and walks forward towards the small bridge.

Fossil gets madder and madder, taking a small hunting knife from his boot and throws it at the horseman, stabbing him in the back. The horseman turns around and takes the knife from out his back, throwing it back so it stabs Fossil in the leg, blood pouring fast down from the wound. The sounds of hoofbeats behind him causes Fossil to look behind him, seeing Howard stopping and getting of his own horse.

He then turns and see a hayfeeder sticking on the side of a small farmhouse, two sickles sticking out of the hay. He grabs them in both his hands, only for Howard to grab his shoulders "Stop, he's not after you. This is not your fight" He said, trying to talk some sense into the older man.

Fossil just ignored him and marched forwards, the horseman also turning to block the sickle strieks with his own axe and sword. Howard found a third sickle and decided to join in the fight, trying to stirke but also getting blocked. Finally one of his stirkes worked and the long handled sickle stuck in the horseman's back "Come on, we can't win this fight" Howard said, grbbing Fossil's arm and making him run with him.

They both made it to the other side of the roofed bridge, panting for breath as they heard heavy footsteps on the wood behind them. They turned round to see the horseman wasn't behind them, instead it came as a shock as the horseman jumped off the roof to behind them. It first stabbed Howard deep in the shoulder with the sword, making him fall to the floor in pain as he watched Fossil put up a good fight, until the horseman finally cut the body in half. Both ends fell into a bloody mass on the gorund, causing Howard to shiver in fright before fainting deeply.

--

Back in the mansion, Howard was being treated by Doctor Ferry, with Victoria watching close by "This is amazing, This wound should have killed him, but there's hardly a drop of blood lost..." The two jumped back in fright as Howard woke from in deep slumber, gasping in pain as he settled back down "You must rest now, you have the fever" Bryan explained, trying to soothe Howard back to sleep.

Downsyairs, Vince was busy preparing ingredients to make a potion for Howard's pain. He stirred the stuff in a large pot above the kitchen fire, muttering spell words as he added more powder and herbs. When it was ready, he poured in into a large glass and took it upstairs to Howard's room. He gasp mentally at the sight of Howard's pain, but composed himself long enough to walk over to the bed and knelt next to his friend "Vince...I tried to stop him, but..."

"Shhh, you better drink this down, it'll help make you sleep" He said, handing over the glass, but Howard ignored him "The horseman wasn't gonna kill me or Fossil, he does not kill at random. His victims are choosen by someone, someone who knew where to dig and took his skull"

"These are just silly ravings from your fever" Victoria said, looking slighty nervous as did the doctor. Vince just ignored his mother and concentrated on getting Howard better "Listen, just drink this down, it'll make you sleep" Howard accepted Vince's help to drink the potion and landed into a deep sleep, his past coming back to haunt him...

_The white church room became much clearer in his memory. The red door at the end opening to reveal his father walking out, his face set grim as he walked past young Howard, not seeing him hiding in the pews. He waited until his father had left, then walked through the red door. Inside where many different torture devices, most with vicious looking spikes sticking on them. _

_He walked past a chair made mostly from spikes and see an iron maiden in front of him. Eyes stared out at him from the silt in the face, making him jump back in fright and banging his palms against the spikes on the chair, blood splurting out from the small wounds on his palms. He then watched in horror as the iron maiden opened, revealing a wave of blood and his mother, pale and staring with opened eyes, many bloody and tiny holes covering her body..._

Howard woke up in a state of fright, sitting up into Vince's arms who was sitting right next to him. He panted quickly to calm himself as Vince rubbed his hands up and down his back "It's alright, you were dreaming"

"Yes, things I thought I forgot and I don't want to remember" He looked down at his palms to sees the small wounds were bleeding.

"Tell me what you dreamt about" Vince asked, his voice full of concern.

"My mother was innocent, a child of nature, a witch. She was murdered by my father, to save her soul. He was a bible loving tyrant, behind a mask of rightousness. I was seven when I lost my faith" Howard explained, tears gathering in his eyes.

"What do you believe in now?" Vince asked, tears gathering in his own eyes.

"Reason, cause and consequence. I shouldn't have come to this place, my rational thinking has been taken over by spiritual thinking" Howard replied, staring at an interesting bit of the wall.

"Was there anything in this village that won't make you stay?" Vince asked, quite hopeful.

"No, nothing at all. Except maybe a kiss from a lovely young man with his spiritual thnking" Vince smiled at this "Yes, without any sense or reason"

They gazed into each others eyes for what seemed like an enternity, until Howard broke contact first "I'm sorry, I speak of kisses from you and you've just lost your Fossil"

Vince looked down dejected, speaking with a quiet voice "I've cried for Fossil, but my heart isn't broken. Do you think me wrong because of that?"

"No, but perhaps there is a bit of witch in you" Howard answered truthfully.

"Why do you think that?" Vince asked, curious.

"Because you've bewitched me" Howard answered, smiling at the bright grin on Vince's face. They held each other close once more before Howard went back to sleep, safe in the knowledge Vince was there for him.

--

Sorry for the very late update hehe great holiday, but noww i'm back ;) enjoy this chapter. from chugirl2526.


	8. Chapter 8

Booshy Hollow.

Summery- After a series of murders have been carried out at the small village of Sleepy Hollow, constable Howard Crane has been called out to investigate them. Can he slove the mystery with his new friend Naboo and his new love interest, the mysterious Vince Van Tassel?

Disclaimer- I do not own the boosh, I do not own Sleepy Hollow either, Tim Burton does. Great director he is :)

Author's Notes- Thanks to everyone who reviewed so far, I love you all Please also forgive for the next deaths in this chapter ;)

--

The next day, Howard woke up with less pain then before. He thought about Vince's potion and smiled, but jumped in fright at the sight of Dixon Van Tassel sitting at the foot of his bed "You sleep like the dead, you know" He sneered.

"I do not wish to be served by the lord of the house" Howard admitted, a little bit afraid of the man in front of him.

"Well, the servent Donny has gone missing. Ran off I suppose, seemed he was having an affair with his girlfriend" Dixon replied, taking a knife and a apple, then started slicing off the skin.

"Where's Vince?" He asked, concerned. He knew how much Vince was afriad of his step-father and knew Dixon disliked Vince just as much.

"He was here with you till dawn, now it's his turn to sleep" Dixon answered with another sneer, before leaving the room with his peeled apple. Naboo walked passed him with a large jag of water, filling the wash bowl on the table.

"Well, time I was up and working, I feel fit enough now anyway" Howard said, getting up without grunting in pain as much as before. He then gathered all his notes and piling them on the floor, he had enough the cover the floor of the entire room "Doctor Bryan Ferry, Reverand Harold Boon, Notery Tommy Nooka and Magistrate Lance Doir- who lost his head. Four frightened men who were meeting each other the night Dior died, this sounds like a conspiracy"

Naboo watched in silence as Howard wrote in his large notebook on the old wooden desk by the window "What is the secret that connects them? Doir knew about the widow being pregnant, but wouldn't say the name of the father. By process of elimonation, I shall make a list of everyone in the village, starting with Victoria Van Tassel. I feel we're getting close"

"I suppose Victoria is the chief villagers now Van Garret is dead" Naboo replied helpfully.

"Yes, I was wondering about them" Howard opened the bible that was in his room and searched through the family tree of the Van Garrets and the Van Tassels, slamming the book shut when he thought of an answered "Come with me, we need to visit the notery" He stored all of his notes away before he and Naboo left the room.

--

They rode down the village to the notery's office, going inside the dusty building to find stacks of papers, notes and books, gathering dust and cobwebs from all the years they haven't been touched "Hopeless" Howard muttered, going around the tables and chairs to the main desk. Naboo looked around then saw a black, leather satchel propped up on one of the walls "Bollo's satchel, he used it while working for the Van Garrets"

Howard gave him a look then opened the door of the grandfather clock, jumping in fright as Tommy Nooka stood inside, his head just fitting in "Just leave me alone, alone I say!" He said, getting out of the clock and to his desk.

"When you've shown me the last will of old man Van Garret" Howard commanded, getting to the side of Tommy.

"The will says everything goes to his son" Tommy explained, clearly afraid.

"Who died with him? Remember? So the estate passes to the next of kin" As he said this, Naboo rooted through his ex-familar's satchel and pulled out a piece of folded, worn out paper, the red wax seal in half "Sir, look at this"

Tommy gasped in shocked and hid his face behind his hands "I'm a dead man..." He whispered, as Howard opened the paper "Van Garrets seal, broken I see. Seems he also made a new will just before he died, naming the widow as the next inheritence"

"Look, a marriage certificate too" Naboo replied, pulling out another old piece of paper and handing it to Howard.

"Old man Van Garret secretly married the widow, left everything to her and her unborn child. So the new will is stood between the Van Garret fortune and the person who would have got everything" Howard explained, still looking through the print of the will in his hands.

"It's true. We four were drawn in against our will" Tommy muttered, trying to get himself out of trouble.

"Now I see, the roles the four of you played. Reverand Harold knew about the secert because he performed the marriage, Doctor Ferry attended the pregnant woman, Magistrate Doir gave protection of the law and you sealed the documents, which had been entrusted from Van Garret to his faithful servent Bollo. The four conpirators drawn into the plot" Howard went on, knowing he was getting close when Tommy got up in anger.

"We did not know it was a murdering plot..." He was cut off by the constable "I've not finished yet. The father and son killed by a horseman raised from the grave to chop people's heads off. Now up pops a widow with a claim on the fortune, off with her head. Bollo was summoned to bear witness at the changing of the new will, off with his head" Naboo flinched at these words "The horseman came because someone has the power of summoning over him. Someone who dug his skull up, with must be restored to the horseman before he will return to hell. Someone who stood to gain or lose a fortune, none other then Van Garrets next of kin, Victoria Van Tassel"

--

Howard and Naboo rode back to the mansion, in silence as they entered Howard bedroom. Sitting by his writing desk, was Vince looking down at his notes with a shy smile "Vince? What are you doing in my bedroom?"

"Cause it's yours. Why? Is it wicked of me to be here?" Vince smirked, getting up and facing Howard, who just shook his head "I missed you, where'd you go?"

"To the notery. I had questions to ask Nooka" Howard replied, a little suspious of the young man in front of him.

"Did you learn anything useful?" Vince asked, quite curious.

Howard and Naboo gave each other a knowing look and turned back to Vince "Maybe..."

"My mother thinks you should return to London. I don't know why, perhaps she looked in your notebook and didn't like what she saw" Vince explained, giving a small sterned look at Howard "What have you got in your hands?"

Howard looked down at the will in his hands "Evidence. Sorry, but now I must ask you to leave"

"Then I will leave you to your thoughts" Vince said, coldly as he briskly walked out of the room. He turned his head round one last time to see Howard place the evidence in a drawer of the writing desk, then shut the door behind him. Howard gave him a strange look then saw a large spider on the floor by his bed, leaping up onto the chair in fright.

Naboo smirked at him as it crawled under the bed "It's just a spider, you know"

"I don't like them, just kill it, kill it now!" Howard nearly squeaked in fright.

Naboo rolled his eyes and looked under the bed, his eyebrows furrowing as he notised chalky lines underneath "There's something here, sir" He pulled the bed across, to reveal a magical designs of complicated lines drawn in a circle, with a large eye in the middle "The evil eye..." Naboo muttered "There is someone casting spells against you, I should know about magic"

--

Twilight came and Howard sat at his desk, notebook open as he thought about all the infomation so far. He then heard a noise downstairs and woke Naboo up, telling him to follow him. They saw a claoked figure walk outside the mansion and continued to follow it, across the village and into the woods.

The forest floor was covered in fog and mist, the sky grey with clouds, making it nearly impossible to see anything "Wait here" Howard said, notising the figure's lantern shinging down a hillside. He got out his pistol and slowly hid behind a tree, watching as two figures lay together on the leaves and dirt of the ground.

The woman on top of the man below moved downwards to reveal Dixon Van Tassel, very much enjoying himself as the woman worked her magic on him. He picked up a small dagger he had bought with him and cut his palm open, spreading the blood on the woman's back. Howard could only look on in disgust and shock at the sight, before finally walking off in a daze before anything worst happens.

He and Naboo got back to the mansion before anyone notised they were missing and went straight up to Howard's room. Howard knew something was wrong and went over to the writing desk, opening the drawer to reveal all the evidence was gone. He could only think of one person who would want to get rid of it and without a word to Naboo, he went back outside and gathered his horse, riding to the burned cottage Vince showed him.

It was becoming dawn as he got there, watching as Vince ripped up the evidence and threw it onto a small fire he made himself "Vince, you took the evidence and burnt it, why?"

"So you wouldn't be able to accuse my mother with it then" Vince answered, no emotion in his voice as he stood up and brushed himself down.

"I've accused no-one. But if there is guilt in her, I'm afraid not even your spells could alter it. Your mother has the motive, it's she who stands to profit from these murders" Howard explained, trying to defend himself.

"If you knew her, you wouldn't think that. You never felt anything for me nither" Vince spat out, anger boiling inside him at the harsh words Howard told him.

"I live by reasoning, why else did the four conpire to conceal..." He was cut off by the young Van Tassel "You're the constable, not me. Find some other reasoning and let me and my family be"

"I can't, not one or the other. I'm heart-sick with it knowing it's hurting you" Howard said, his voice full of pity.

"I believe you have no heart, and to think I was going to give mine to you" Vince sighed sadly, looking away from Howard.

"I think you loved me that day you followed me into the woods, to be brave enough to go in there" Howard replied, placing his hand on Vince's shoulder, only to have it shrugged off.

"What peril is there? It seems my own mother controls the headless horseman" Vince said, his anger peaking as he got onto his white horse "Goodbye Howard Crane, I curse the day you came here" He spat out, before riding off into the mist.

Howard stayed at the burnt cottage for a while to think things over, then returned to the mansion to see Dixon in the kitchen, making lunch "Where's Vince?"

"He will not see you, came home in a temper and stormed up to his room" Dixon replied, adding more ingrediants to the stew he was preparing "By the way, I know you saw me in the woods last night. Promise not to tell my wife about it" They both jumped in fright as the kitchen door banged open and Victoria walked in "The town is in an uproar, Nooka is dead. Hanged himself in the night, Reverand Boon has called a meeting in the church tonight. Everybody is to speak against you, constable"

Howard looked away in shock as Victoria notised her husband's cut on his hand "What happened, love?"

"Just an accident while making dinner, I'll get some arrow-root flowers from by the woods later and bind them with the wound" Dixon smiled, no real emotion showing in it.

--

As early evening fell, the mist rose from the ground slightly to give a more less evil presence. All the villagers were gathering inside the church except Victoria, who rode off to find her husband. She found him picking the wild arrow-root flowers just outside the entrance to the western woods "Hurry up, the meeting's about to start"

Dixon just smiled up to him and carried on, lightening and thunder suddenly cracking in the sky. The wind picked up and the leaves and trees rustled as Victoria stared wide eyed at the horseman riding up behind Dixon, his sword drawn out.

At the church, Reverend Boon was finishing off bringing people inside as Howard and Naboo stood out of sight behind the wall of a near-by house. Then shouts were heard "The horseman is about. Vince? Vince?" The young Van Tassel ran out from the crowd to his mother "He killed him, the horseman killed Dixon"

Secertly, Vince was glad his step-father was dead. He never let him have any fun, was always going on about how strange Vince was with his white magic and how it was improper. He was afraid of Dixon, but now it felt like a weight was lifted off his chest. He looked at his mother with pity and sadness for her, then heard hoofbeats beating in the distance were Victoria rode from. They both ran inside, with Howard and Naboo ebing the last two inside.

Inside the church were fairly big, which was good because everyone was going mad, rioting and yelling at each other. Every man who carried a rifle with them had to brake open a window and prepare themselves for when the horseman appered again. Victoria pushed her way to the front of the alter, where Harold grabbed her by her coller "You're the one the horseman wants, get out there and give him you"

Vince watched in shock, then dropped to his knees and muttered a spell to himself, drawing on the ground with a piece of chalk from inside his jacket pocket. Howard looked through one of the window near the main doors, seeing the horseman couldn't get any futher then the gate, the horse itself pawing at the gatepost "He can't enter the place" He muttered to himself, moving to the alter where Victoria and Harold were still arguing.

She had enough then and pulled the pistol from Doctor Ferry's pocket, clocking it and pointed it towards them "The next person who touches me, will get a bullet"

"Stop, it's now time to confess our sins" Harold suggested, hoping to quiet down the mood.

"What do you know then?" Victoria asked, pointing the gun towards him.

"Your four friends played you false, we were posessed by one-" He was cut off when Bryan picked a wooden cross off the alter and slammed it down on his head, the shock making Victoria pull the trigger of the gun and kill him. Vince looked up from his work in fear at what his mother had done, getting up and walking to her as she went up some steps in front of a large stained-glass window, hoping he could help her.

Outside, the horseman made his way behind the church and picked up some rope hanging of the fence around the church, then getting a sharp, pointed bit of metal and rode a bit away from the gunfire erupting from the church windows. He tied the rope around the metal and waited for the right chance.

Inside, Victoria had gone mad with anger and confusion, getting to the top of the stairs and standing on where Harold could give his sermans "There is a conpiracy here and I will get it out" Vince looked at Howard, knowing now he was right about a conpiracy, when the metal spike shot through the window and straight through Victoria, blood splurting out as it stuck in her middle.

Vince screamed in shock and disgust, as everyone one else gasped loudly. Then, Victoria shot backwards through the rest of the glass and was dargged across the small graveyard until she was smashed into the fence and was trapped, too weak to do anything. Vince and Howard raced up the stairs and looked down to see the horseman go over to her and slice off her head with a single stroke.

Vince gave one last whimper of fear, then fainted, the shock too much for him. Howard bent down to help him, then stopped at the sight of the piece of chalk that fell from Vince's fingers. He then stood back up and saw the same design from under his bed, was in the middle of the floor of the church. His mind then knew Vince was the one casting the spells against him, Vince was the one summoning the horseman.

--

Back at the mansion awhile later, Howard looked down at the pale figure of Vince, still asleep after all the excitement. He couldn't help but feel sorry for the young man, he just lost his mother and step-father in the worst way, he had no-one left "It was an evil spirit that posessed you, I hope it's satisfied now and leaves you alone. The evil eye's done its work, my life is over, I must prepare now for a lifetime of horrors in my dreams"

He rested his hand on Vince's, careful not to disturb him "Goodbye Vince, I will miss you" He the made his way downstairs and sat in front of the large fireplace in the kitchen, looking at his ledger one last time. He opened it to the middle pages to reveal pcitures of Vince he drew, him with the blindfold on when he first met him, sitting by the fireplace of his first home. Then he threw it into the fire, watching as his feelings went up in smoke and flames.

But he kept one thing close to his heart, the book Vince first gave him, about the magicial and spiritual world. He was going to burn that too, but desided against it, knowing it was very personal to him now. He then heard the carriage arriving, to take him back to London. He went outisde with his cases, but was stopped by Naboo's voice "You think it was Vince, don't you? A strange sort of witch with a loving heart, ho can you think that?"

"I have good reason to" Howard answered, knowing very well he didn't really.

"Then you are bewitched by this reason" Naboo yelled, getting upset himself. Howard just sighed and walked over to the carriage, getting in before glancing once more to Vince's bedroom window "Farewell Naboo, look after him" Then got in and drove off, not notising Vince had got up and watched him leave through the window, a small tear falling down his face as his heart broke in two.

As the carriage journeyed througfh the village to the outposts, Howard took the opportunity to glance once more at his surroundings. He looked on as two men took what seemed to be the body of Dixon Van Tassel off a cart to take into the ex-dcotor's office, an arm sticking out to reveal a wedding ring on the middle finger and the large cut on his hand.

He then had an idea and got out the book Vince gave him and opened it up to a page titled 'For the Protection of a Loved One Against Evil Spirits', on the page was the design of the evil eye the young man kept drawing. He then knew the truth and stopped the carriage driver, making him go the other way.

Back at the mansion, Vince was sobbing silently in the large armchair in the living room, when a presense starled him. Looking up, he gasped in shock as the very alive Dixon Van Tassel "Why Vince, it looks like you've seen a ghost" He sneered, before striking the young man across the face hard, knocking him completely out.

--

Sorry for the late update, one last chapter now from chugirl2526.


	9. Chapter 9

Booshy Hollow.

Summery- After a series of murders have been carried out at the small village of Sleepy Hollow, constable Howard Crane has been called out to investigate them. Can he slove the mystery with his new friend Naboo and his new love interest, the mysterious Vince Van Tassel?

Disclaimer- I do not own the boosh, I do not own Sleepy Hollow either, Tim Burton does. Great director he is :)

Author's Notes- Thanks to everyone who reviewed so far, I love you all Please also forgive for the next deaths in this chapter ;) Last chapter cries oh well, new horror/fluff story on the way ;)

--

The carriage carring Howard pulled up outside the doctor's office and he rushed inside, straight to the two coffine in the middle of the room, holding the bodies of Mr and Mrs Van Tassel. He opens the lids forcefully and glares down at the headless corpses, looking for the slightess clue. Seeing nothing on Victoria's body, he moved over to Dixon's, holding up the arm with the cut palm on it "No blood flow, no clotting, no healing. When this cut was made, this gent was already dead"

He rushes back out to the carriage and finds the driver is missing, so he gets in the driver's seat and strikes the horse with its reins, making it gallop off to the mansion. Finding no-one there, he then galloped off towards the windmill, the only other place Dixon would take Vince.

--

The old, rotton windmill stood in a large field just outside the village, its sails ripped from strong winds. Thunder and lightening cracked in the sky as Naboo moved from the outskirts of the village towards it. Inside, Vince layed still knocked out on the dusty floor, a red handprint on his cheek and a bleeding lip from where Dixon slapped him, as his step-father knelt over him and snipped off a piece of his long, raven hair.

He then walked over to a mini-alter, covered with lit candles, a mini fire and the skull of the headless horseman "Come, rise once more. One more night of beheading, rise up for me and come for Vince" He muttered, as he threw the strands into the flames. In the western woods, the horseman once again shoots out of the tree of the dead, galloping towards the windmill.

Vince then came round, glancing at his surroundings in confusion. He then glanced in fear at Dixon standing above him "Ah, awake at last. Did you think it was just a bad dream?"

"Wait, my mother saw the horseman kill you. How are you alive?" Vince asked, now curious.

"She saw the horseman come towards me with his sword out, but it's me who the horseman takes orders from" Dixon said, smugly.

"But, there was a body..." Vince stuttered, once again confused.

"The servent, Donny. I thought she was useless, but it seemed he had a purpose after all once I cut his head off" Dixon admitted, without a hint of remorse in his voice.

"Who are you?" Vince asked, now disgusted with the man in front of him.

"My family name was Archer, I lived with my parents and brother in a cottage not far from here until one day my father died and we were evicted. No-one in this village would take us in because my mother was suspected of witchcraft. But she taught her sons well as we lived as outcasts in the western woods until she died too. My brother and I stayed in our safe-home, seeing not a soul until one day whilst gathering firewood, we crossed the path of the horseman" He paused as Vince gasped in shock, taking all the infomation in.

"I saw his death and at that moment, I offered my soul to Satan, if he raised the horseman from the grave to avenge me againest Van Garret. He showed us no mercy as we starved, while Van Tassel and her husband and boy-child stole our home. That's why I made myself the new husband of your mother. The easiest part was to enter your house as your fathers nurse and put his body in the grave, what wasn't easy was to secure my legarcy. The widow had to go of course, and Bollo and even that midwife Hamilton had to go after finding out about the widows secret. Then soon those four idiots soon fell foul to either the horseman or their own different deaths" Vince looked away from him to watch Naboo sneak past the deranged Dixon.

"You have everything now..." Vince answered, getting interupted by Dixon slapping him across the face again, the pain in his cheek flaring up.

"No, you have really by your mother's will. I just get everything in the event of your death, oh and my brother in the cave in the woods also passed away quite recently" Dixon sneered, not sorry at all.

"You chopped off your own brother's head?" Vince almost shouted, angry and disgusted at how this madman treated everyone. Behind Dixon, Naboo picks up a small sledgehammer and prepares to hit the evil man.

"He deserved it..." He then turned around to face the shaman "...For helping you and your master" Naboo dropped the hammer in fright and rushed past him, grabbing Vince's hand as he went "You're just in time to have your head cut off, you know. Tonight the horseman comes, and he's coming for you"

Howard gets to the windmill first, jumping off the carriage and runs towards two figures, also running towards him "Vince! Naboo!" He then sees Dixon standing at the doorway, holding the skull smugly in his arms. He gathered Vince up in his arms close whilst silently thanking God, then other sounds of hoofbeats came close as the horseman finally got to the windmill. All three ran past Dixon back into the old building and closed the doors behind them, sliding a shovel handle through the wood-bar lock, then covering the door with heavy sacks of flour.

The doors banged harshly, but didn't give way as the three backed away "To the roof, I have an idea!" Howard called out, as they rushed towards steps and a ladder going up to the rotten rooftop. He stopped and pulled down a lever first that made the windmills sails start to move again using the dusty and rusted machinery inside. The horseman sliced through the shovel handle using his sword and slammed open the doors, walking up the steps following them.

As Howard just gets to the ladder, the horseman swipes at his head, but misses as the constable starts to climb behind Vince. He sweipes again, but only suceeds in cutting of bits of the ladder. Up on the rooftop, Howard drops the laturn they'd been carring down to the bottom of the windmill, sacks below setting on fire as he hoped the horseman would be trapped inside still "Jump and grab hold!" Howard yelled out, prompting Naboo to jump first, grabbing onto the sail as it spun round to the ground. Vince and Howard jumped on the same one, then fell off when they neared the ground.

They ran towards Howard's abandoned carriage just as the windmill exploded from the combination of oil and flames "Is he dead?" Naboo asked.

"That's the problem, he was already dead to begin with" Howard explained, watching in shock as the horseman walked out of the wreakage unharmed. The three of them got onto the driver's seat of the carriage and drove off, as the horseman got onto his own horse and rode of after them into the western woods.

--

"Where are we going?" Naboo asked over the sounds of rushing wind.

"Anywhere but here!" Howard answered, glancing behind to see the horseman quickly closing the gap between them, sword drawn out "Here, take the reins!" He said, handing them to Vince as he climbed over the top of the carriage holding a large rifle the driver left behind. He lined up his firing shot and looked in shock as the horse behind had no rider in it, the horseman instead grabbing the back of the carriage. he shot the horseman still, making the ghost let go.

Howard stood up and looked down to see the horseman gone, not realising about the low branch until it smacked him in the back of the head and knocked him onto the huge beast behind. He then sat up and saw the horseman was holding onto the bottom of the carriage, being dragged along the dusty ground. When he got close enough, he leapt onto the horseman and climbed back onto the top of the carriage.

The horseman followed him up on top and grabbed him around the throat, throwing him down onto the roof "Jump!" He managed to shout to Vince and Naboo, making them leap onto the two horses pulling the carriage. As they went over a fallen log, the part holding the horses to the carriage broke, seperating the carriage with the horseman one it one way and Howard jumping onto Vince's horse another.

The carriage crashed into a clump of tall trees, causing the horseman to fall to the ground and the heavy carriage falls on top of it. The two other horses rode on until they reached the tree of the dead, running to the base only to be stopped by Dixon riding over to them "Still alive I see"

"Run, Vince" Howard yelled, pushing him away from his demented step-father as Dixon pulled a pistol from his jacket pocket and fired, hitting Howard in the chest where his heart would be, making Vince turn back around in shock and go over to him. He got stopped when his step-father grabbed his hair harshly and held him still as the horseman got closer "Here, take him now!"

Naboo knelt down next to Howard, sighing in relief to find him still alive "You're not dead, great" Howard gave him a slight smile, then sat up and notised a sack tied to Dixon's saddle. He stood up and bounded onto the madman, knocking him and the sack off and realesing Vince. The skull fell out of the sack and a struggle began between them to get it. Naboo picked up a large branch and bought it down on top of Dxion's head, knocking him out.

Vince stood a bit away watching, amazed Howard was still alive. But he didn't realise the horseman was right behind him until it grabbed his hair and pulled his head back, exposing his neck. Howard saw he was about to get his head cut off and grabbed the skull, holding it up high. He then threw it to the horseman, who let go of Vince to grab it.

It put its skull back on it the right place and a awful screeching sound as blood, muscle, white hair and green skin grew back quickly, wild eyes back in the empty sockets. As this went on, Howard went over to Vince and held him tightly in his arms, his anger rising as he spotted the handprint on his face. Vince pulled away and gave him a questioning look, which Howard answered by opening his jacket pocket and showing the small book Vince gave him, the bullet lodged in it.

The horseman's regeneration had finished and it glared at them not with anger or evilness, but calmness and a small bit of gratatude. He then got onto his large horse and rode swiftly towards the unconcious body of his tormentor, picking him up and holding him in his arms. Dixon woke up in surprize of his position and screamed as the horseman bought his pointed teeth down upon his own lips, kissing him deeply.

When they pulled away, they both had blood running down their lips and chins as they rode towards the tree of the dead. A flash of light brightened the forest as they disappeared back into hell, Dixon's hand just sticking out of the trunk, curling up in death, causing Howard to faint once more.

--

The next day, a carriage rode back towards London, drving through the English countryside carring important passagers. As they drove in London, Howard was asleep, but was soon woken by the feel of Vince leaning over and kissing him awake gently "Here we are, just in time for a new century" They got out of the carriage just as snow fell from the cloudy sky above them, amazing Vince no end who never saw it in his village.

"You'll soon get your bearings, Naboo" He replied to the ex-shaman, who was carring the bags as best as he could "Home is this way, you'll soon get used to this" He held out his arm for Vince to loop his around as they walked down the snow covered street where everyone was busy shopping and chatting.

--

There we go, finished :) I'm sorry about the sucky ending hehe thanks for everyone who reviewed this :) from chugirl2526


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